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Homemade Sandwich Rolls

Ever decide on a meal for dinner only to realize you are missing one crucial ingredient? That always creates a huge dilemma for me- a long internal battle of whether or not I make the dish and go to the store, or simply make a new dish all together!

This exact scenario occurred last week when I proposed vegetarian sloppy Joes, only to realize I did not have any bread in the house (who doesn’t have bread in the house?!). My genius boyfriend came to the rescue, found this recipe, and in no time we were enjoying warm, fresh out of the oven, sandwich rolls. I swear they made those sloppy Joes seem like they belonged to a fine-dinning establishment and not some college kid’s kitchen.

Whether or not you enjoy these rolls with jam and butter, or at the book ends of a sandwich, the little bit of prep work is definitely worth it. Loosing the preservatives and being able to pull these soft warm rolls right out of the oven will make you never want to buy sandwich buns again.

Try them. I dare you.

Happy baking!

Ingredients

2 Tablespoons active dry yeast

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons warm water (110° to 115°)

1/3 cup vegetable oil

¼ cup sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon salt

3 to 3-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

Directions

Preheat the oven to 425˚F and lightly grease a baking sheet. Set aside.

In a large bowl combine the yeast, water, oil, and sugar. Allow to stand for 5-10 minutes, or until it is clear the yeast has risen.

Add the egg, salt, and the flour (only add enough flour to form a soft dough, use your judgment).

On a clean, dry, and lightly floured surface, knead the bread until a smooth and elastic ball (about 3- 5 minutes worth).

Do not let the dough rise, but immediately dive the dough into 12 even pieces.

Shape each dough piece into a circle, slightly pushed down (this will help prevent the rolls from being extremely tall and narrow, which is difficult if using for sandwich bread), and arrange about 3 inches apart on the baking sheet.